Answer: (Maybe B. I'm SORRY!) Steinbeck uses descriptive language to indicate that the area is a place of rest. The specific colors, foliage, and animals that are mentioned create a respite, even for those boys and men from the ranches who beat a path to the water. For example, Steinbeck uses the following images to suggest that this place is a place of comfort and that the Salinas River is a sanctuary.
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